ARNE SLOT SHOCKS FANS AS LIVERPOOL WASTE MORE POINTS AGAIN

Liverpool's defensive woes continued in a heavy defeat to Man City, their fifth loss in six games. Arne Slot's centre-back partnership of Konaté and Van Dijk was exposed as the Reds' season turned sour.

Arne Slot shocks fans as Liverpool waste more points again
Arne Slot has now lost five of his last six Premier League matches - Getty Images

On Sunday afternoon, Arne Slot made the quick journey down the M62, and the dismal skies over Manchester were the least of his concerns.

The last eight Premier League titles have been split between Liverpool and City, but when the two modern-day titans faced up at the Etihad, there was a class divide.

After winning back-to-back games against Real Madrid and Aston Villa, the Reds appeared to collapse, but they were quickly overpowered by City's strength.

Every time Liverpool was late to the ball, they frantically argued with referee Chris Kavanagh, clattering a sky blue shirt in the process, and lost every skirmish up and down the field.

It was just another subpar showing in a season that is rapidly losing its shine for Slot's once-glistening stars. And it all comes down to a single choice the Dutchman made.

This season, Liverpool's defensive problems have been widely reported. In reaction, Slot benched Milos Kerkez, making room for Conor Bradley to establish himself.

Even though Bradley was outstanding against Vinicius Jr. that week, he was chasing shadows against Jeremy Doku, who was inspired.

Doku was a continual source of trouble for Liverpool, and he scored his well-earned goal—City's third—with the enchanted strike that Reds supporters have come to expect from Mohamed Salah.

Slot must, however, address the centre-back duo of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.

Van Dijk's abilities appear to be ebbing away; while he may be upset that his goal was disallowed, his defence of City's second goal is unacceptable.

A limp leg protruded from the Dutchman's backpedalling towards his own goal, leaving the ball over a flat-footed Giorgi Mamardashvili.

Since Konate was identified as Liverpool's primary vulnerability, City put pressure on all of the players, giving the Frenchman time with the ball so he could leap on a misdirected pass.

Konate got the most touches on the field during the first half, with City players accounting for the next four.

Slot wanted Marc Guehi since Liverpool is lacking in the back, but he can not keep letting the Frenchman fall to the wolves.

The Reds have already dropped behind Manchester United under Ruben Amorim, lost five of their previous six Premier League games, and are now far from the top of the table.

Liverpool's Premier League schedule is getting easier as they play Nottingham Forest at home, West Ham away, and Sunderland at home next.

Anything less is unacceptable for Slot and Liverpool; all three must win.

MOHAMED SALAH SET TO LEAVE LIVERPOOL: FENERBAHCE PREPARE STUNNING THREE-YEAR CONTRACT OFFER

After a decade at Anfield, Mohamed Salah's next move is the talk of football. Will he join Messi or stay in European leagues?

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Salah Rejects Saudi Millions - Photo Credit: Getty Images

Mohamed Salah looks set to leave Liverpool this summer, and it sounds like he wants to stay in Europe. One of the hottest rumours right now is about Fenerbahçe; they’re ready to offer him a three-year deal worth around £52 million. That’s a huge pay packet, but probably not as big as what he’d get in Saudi Arabia.

Salah’s been on Merseyside for almost a decade, and it’s hard to overstate just how much he’s done for Liverpool. Since joining in 2017 with Jurgen Klopp in charge, he’s picked up two Premier League titles, a Champions League medal, an FA Cup, and two League Cups. Pretty impressive, honestly. But this season hasn’t gone his way, and new boss Arne Slot dropped him for a few games after his form dipped. When Salah announced in March that he’d be leaving, people started up with transfer rumours right away.

In recent years, clubs from the Saudi Pro League have shown considerable interest. Last year, Al Ittihad went as far as slapping a £150 million offer on the table, but Liverpool turned it down.

Now the story goes that Salah wants to stay in Europe even though he’d pocket way more in Saudi Arabia. Reports out of Egypt claim Fenerbahce, managed by Jose Mourinho’s old club, have already sat down with Salah’s agent. They apparently laid out their big plans, offering £17.3 million a year with a three-year contract, and they want to build the team around him to end their league title drought stretching back to 2014.

There’s also talk of Real Madrid getting involved. Still, their transfer policy usually steers clear of handing massive contracts to players pushing the end of their careers, even superstars like Salah. Clubs in Italy, like Roma, Juventus, and Inter Milan, are keeping tabs on him too. And just to make things more interesting, someone floated the idea of Salah joining up with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami in the MLS, though the league's salary cap throws a wrench into that.

At this point, everybody’s watching Salah’s next move; the only certainty is that he won’t be short of offers when he finally says goodbye to Liverpool.

WHY IS LIVERPOOL HESITATING TO HIRE XABI ALONSO DESPITE OVERWHELMING FAN SUPPORT?

Liverpool has contacted Real Madrid to investigate Xabi Alonso’s tenure, as pressure grows on current manager Arne Slot at Anfield.

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Liverpool Seek "Inside Scoop" From Madrid On Alonso’s Sacking Background - Photo Credit: Getty Images

Liverpool have reached out to Real Madrid to ask about Xabi Alonso, but honestly, there’s some debate going on behind the scenes. People have been talking about Alonso stepping in at Anfield, especially since Arne Slot’s season hasn’t gone over well. Fans let out some boos after that 1-1 draw with Chelsea, and the mood is pretty tense. Even though Slot led Liverpool to a league title last year, quite a few supporters seem fed up with him and would rather see Alonso take charge.

But Spanish outlet AS says Liverpool have contacted Real Madrid to get the inside scoop on what happened during Alonso’s time at the club. It sounds like the decision-makers at Liverpool are starting to feel unsure about him, and they might actually stick with Slot for another season.

Alonso landed the Real Madrid job last summer after doing wonders at Bayer Leverkusen. Still, just six months in, Madrid let him go, reportedly because the locker room was falling apart. Liverpool’s relationship with Real Madrid is strong, and they apparently want some honest feedback – kind of like asking for a reference from a past employer, which isn’t unusual.

Liverpool’s spot in next year’s Champions League is almost locked in, but with two games left, it’s not guaranteed yet. When asked about the boos, Slot admitted he has some work to do to win fans over.

He said, “Not this season. Fans won’t change their minds now. But if we get the summer we’re planning, I’m convinced we’ll be a different team next season. Results, style, everything. It’s not always easy, though. Sometimes you know what needs fixing, but getting what you want isn’t so simple. This season, it’s been pretty clear what we’re missing. We’re trying to solve it, but one issue is simply having enough fit players. Still, our guys show every week in the second half that they’re giving everything they’ve got.”

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